LABOUR yesterday tried to turn up the political pressure over council tax rises to fund North Wales Police.

Leading politicians launched a protest petition against the increases after the minority Assembly government’s bid to cap the police authority’s 6.75% tax increase at 5% was defeated by opposition AMs.

The unprecedented move by a governing party aimed to highlight a “culture of high taxes” by North Wales Police under controversial chief constable Richard Brunstrom.

The police authority insisted yesterday the difference between a 5% and 6.75% rise was equivalent to just £2.93 a year on average bills, little more than the price of a pint of beer.

But finance minister Sue Essex pointed to the existing £167 police charge as the highest in Wales and the third highest in England and Wales, behind Metropolitan London.

While the North Wales Police charge makes up 17% of the total tax bill, Cheshire Constabulary’s precept is £108, or 8% of the county’s council tax bill.

Culture minister and Clwyd West Labour AM Alun Pugh said: “It’s an unprecedented situation that a governing party has been defeated on a key issue such as police funding.

“Were we not a couple of weeks away from an election it could be a confidence issue in my opinion.

“People are telling me that their pensions and wages aren’t going up by 6.75% this year.

“They certainly want bobbies on the beat but they want North Wales Police to live within their means like a lot of other police authorities and councils have done by restricting council tax increases to 5%

“So what is it uniquely in North Wales that drives up bills by nearly 7%?

“We will be collecting names over the next few weeks. I am sure we will get thousands and we will deliver them to the chair of the police authority who has in my opinion overcharged local residents.

“Now that the Government has been defeated people are going to have to pay the extra charges. I’m certainly not advocating that people don’t pay their bills.

“The consequences of the opposition parties combining together once again is everyone’s bills will be going up by what I regard as an excessive amount.

“This doesn’t reflect public opinion on the streets of North Wales.

“This is certainly going to be an issue when the Assembly returns after the election and what happens in any future vote depends on the make-up of that Assembly.”

But North Wales Police Authority chairman Ian Roberts said: “We naturally welcome the decision of the Welsh Assembly which was reached democratically.

“The additional 1.75% on the precept is equivalent to £2.93 a year, or just over cost of a pint of beer, on a Band D property.

“We think that represents value for money for the people of North Wales.

“The Welsh Assembly’s decision also reinforces the conclusion of a professionally conducted survey which clearly showed that neighbourhood policing was an important priority for the people of North Wales.”

The survey said 75% of people would pay more council tax to ensure police officers on the beat in communities.